BioShock: The Movie!

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IGN plays studio boss with the hot new Xbox 360 and PC title.

By IGN Staff

BioShock, 2K's hot new first-person shooter, drops on Tuesday and in case you didn't know... it's kind of a big deal. Gaming critics, including IGN, are raving about how the title combines a smart story with killer game design. In fact, it looks like the Xbox 360 and Games for Windows title is poised to become one of the biggest, if not the single biggest, game of the year.

The setup goes like this: An eccentric genius named Andrew Ryan creates an underwater utopia called Rapture, gathering the best and brightest scientists, artists and industrialists of his day and relocating there with them.

Decades have passed and by the time Jack, an aircraft crash survivor, sets foot in Rapture, Ryan's idealistic vision has devolved into a horrifying remnant of a failed society. The decaying art deco city is now littered with corpses, genetically mutated humans, and bio-mechanical monstrosities.

The game, largely inspired by Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, has a strong linear narrative which combines with the well-crafted visuals to give BioShock a real cinematic quality. This got us thinking: What if Hollywood made aBioShock movie? Well, first of all, that'd be awesome. And second of all, here's how we think it should play out...

WRITER

He's proven himself in the genre film arena time and time again. David Goyer is our pick to adapt BioShock for the screen. His mastery of action-packed flicks with sci-fi/fantasy elements has been proven on movies like Dark City, Blade, and Batman Begins. Goyer has a busy schedule, but we think he might jump at the chance to bring such a cool game to the big screen. Given his track record, we're confident in his ability to write a script that takes the games-to-film genre to the next level.

DIRECTOR

If the studio were prepared to shell out the big bucks for this one, and they'd almost have to be, our choice for helmer is none other than Ridley Scott. Scott's filmography speaks for itself with a diverse array of brilliant films -- it's hard to believe that the same guy who did Gladiator directed Thelma and Louise. The clincher here is Scott's status as helmer of Alien and Blade Runner, two of the best sci-fi films ever made. The rumor mill had Scott briefly linked with another game-to-film adaptation, Halo, a while back, but the filmmaker reportedly balked after determining that the game just didn't have enough story potential. Note to Mr. Scott: If it's story you want, BioShock has it in droves!

If Scott weren't available, we'd try our best to lure James Cameron into the director's chair. Underwater dystopian world... it's kind of a no-brainer.

And if the budget won't allow a bigger name helmer, our bargain-priced pick is Kerry Conran, director of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Conran has extensive special effects experience and could no doubt realize the film's rotting retro environment with excellence.

Watch IGN's video review of BioShock

VISUAL EFFECTS TEAM

To bring the off-the-hook visuals of BioShock to life we'd call out the big guns and order up effects from Industrial Light & Magic. George Lucas's crew of effects gurus have got serious game, and we think it's time they blew it out and took the VFX industry crown back from Peter Jackson's Weta Workshop.

PRINCIPLE CAST

The film's central role of Jack is tough to cast since he's essentially a character vacuum filled by the player. However, we'd go to great lengths to have our writer create a strong protagonist. And when it came down to casting the lead role, we'd have our casting director take meetings with a short list actors. Instead of casting some big adrenaline action star like Vin Diesel or Jason Statham, we'd focus on young actors who can play tough when called on to battle it out with the BioShock bad guys, and cerebral when unraveling the mysteries of Rapture.

Clive Owen -- If we're casting slightly older, Clive Owen is our choice. And if you've seen Children of Men or caught a glimpse of the actor in the Shoot 'Em Up trailer then the idea of Owen as Jack will surely have you jazzed.

For the role of Andrew Ryan we've managed to narrow it down to a single pick: Anthony Hopkins. There's no doubt that the award-winning actor has got the chops, and we think it'd be fun to see Hopkins take on another genre role -- especially a villain. Tweak the accent, a simple technique for such an experienced actor, and you've got your man.

Hopkins (L) and BioShock's Ryan (R)

Dr. Tanenbaum is a scientist who became acquainted with Ryan when she was young. She later became his rival and was once engaged in a full-scale genetic arms race with him. She is the creator of the disturbing "Little Sisters" that roam Rapture harvesting "Adam" from the dead. We'd cast Bourne actress Joan Allen in this role.

In the role of Atlas, a guide who offers Jack his assistance if he'll agree to help him find his family, we'd cast Laurence Fishburne. The role is essentially a disembodied voice, so it's got to go to someone who sounds cool. Fishburne recently lent his voice to the Silver Surfer, and has done the guide shtick before as Morpheus. He may be a somewhat clichéd pick, but you can't deny he's a good one.

YOUR TURN

Creating a film based on a first-person shooter, even one with as big of a story as BioShock, is a tall order. Maybe you loved our proposals for the movie version, or maybe some of them really pissed you off. Regardless, we'd love to hear your ideas for the BioShock flick! Email us or post your thoughts in the comments section below.